Calibrachoa plant named ‘Wescain’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Calibrachoa  plant named ‘Wescain’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright and mounding growth habit; vigorous growth habit; medium-sized oblanceolate leaves; numerous medium-sized purple violet-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Calibrachoa sp.

Cultivar denomination: ‘WESCAIN’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofCalibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp. and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Wescain’.

The new Calibrachoa plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Südlohn, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new Calibrachoa plants with uniform planthabit and numerous attractive flowers.

The new Calibrachoa plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor in April, 2004 in Südlohn, Germany of a proprietaryseedling selection of Calibrachoa sp. identified as code number 04P301,not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary seedlingselection of Calibrachoa sp. identified as code number 04P932, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Calibrachoa plant wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in Südlohn, Germany in May, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Calibrachoa plant by vegetative cuttingsin a controlled environment in Südlohn, Germany since 2007 has shownthat the unique features of this new Calibrachoa plant are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Wescain’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Wescain’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofCalibrachoa:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright and mounding growth habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Medium-sized oblanceolate leaves.    -   4. Numerous medium-sized purple violet-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily fromplants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more freely branching than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have more flexible lateral        branches than plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have smaller leaves than plants        of the female parent selection.    -   4. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and the female parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection        have fuchsia-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the maleparent selection. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily fromplants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have smaller flowers than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and the male parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the male parent have a        conspicuous white-colored zone near the throat.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of theCalibrachoa sp. ‘Wesviolet’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,584. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn, Germany, plants of thenew Calibrachoa differed from plants of ‘Wesviolet’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were more compact than and not        as trailing as plants of ‘Wesviolet’.    -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had larger leaves than plants        of ‘Wesviolet’.    -   3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had larger flowers than plants        of ‘Wesviolet’.    -   4. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and ‘Wesviolet’ differed in        flower color as plants of ‘Wesviolet’ had darker-colored        flowers.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of theCalibrachoa sp. ‘Wescavet’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Calibrachoa differedfrom plants of ‘Wescavel’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were more compact than and not        as trailing as plants of ‘Wescavel’.    -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were more freely branching than        plants of ‘Wescavel’.    -   3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had smaller leaves than plants        of ‘Wescavel’.    -   4. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and ‘Wescavel’ differed in        flower color as plants of ‘Wescavel’ had darker-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Calibrachoa plant, showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Calibrachoa plant. The photograph comprises a close-upview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Wescain’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in 12-cm containers in Südlohn,Germany, under commercial practice during the summer in a glass-coveredgreenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 25° C., nighttemperatures ranging from 16° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranging from3 to 50 klux. Plants were 30 weeks old when the photograph anddescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Calibrachoa sp. ‘Wescain’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of            Calibrachoa sp. identified as code number 04P301, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of            Calibrachoa sp. identified as code number 04P932, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 to 14 days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 to 18 days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 21 to 24            days at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 24 to 26            days at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, medium in thickness; color, close            to 158A.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense to dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, semi-upright and mounding            plant habit; with development, plants become roughly            spherical in shape; freely branching habit with lateral            branches potentially developing at every node; vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 14 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 37 cm to 60 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 16.3 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 1.2 mm to 3 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong; flexible.        -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Close to 146C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 3 cm.        -   Width.—About 1 cm.        -   Shape.—Oblanceolate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,            slightly lighter than 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: Close to 147B; venation, slightly lighter than            147B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform flowers            arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually            about 28 to 44 flowers and flower buds per lateral branch;            flowers face mostly outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Calibrachoa            initiate and develop flowers about 12 to 14 weeks after            planting; plants flower continuously from April to October            in Germany.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five to            seven days on the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3.3 cm.        -   Flower length (height).—About 2.5 cm to 3.2 cm.        -   Flower throat diameter.—About 9 mm.        -   Flower tube diameter, base.—About 4 mm.        -   Flower tube length.—About 1.6 cm.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Oblong. Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter:            About 4.3 mm. Color: Base and mid-section, close to 145B to            145C; towards the apex, close to 83A to 83B.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and            opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:            About 1.4 cm. Petal lobe width: About 1.6 cm. Petal shape:            Roughly obovate. Petal apex: Emarginate. Petal margin:            Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; satiny. Color: Petal lobe, when opening, upper            surface: Darker than N82A. Petal lobe, when opening, lower            surface: Close to N82C. Petal lobe, fully opened, upper            surface: Close to N82A; with development, color becoming            closer to N82B; venation, close to 83A. Petal lobe, fully            opened, lower surface: Close to N82D; with development,            color becoming closer to 85C; venation, close to 152A to            152C. Throat: Close to 6B to 6C; venation, close to N77A.            Tube: Close to 154C; venation, close to N77A.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About 1.1            cm to 1.3 cm. Sepal width: About 3 mm. Sepal shape:            Lanceolate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 146A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 0.9 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: Close to 144A slightly tinted with close to 166A to            166B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: About            five per flower. Filament length: About 4 mm to 6 mm.            Filament color: Close to 145C. Anther shape: Ovate,            four-parted. Anther length: About 1.5 mm. Anther width:            About 1.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 11B. Pollen amount:            Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 11B. Pistils: Quantity: One            per flower. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Style length: About            7 mm. Style color: Close to 144C to 144D. Stigma shape:            Ovate. Stigma color: Close to144A. Ovary color: Close to            144C. Seeds/fruits: Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Calibrachoa.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have been observed    to have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to 30° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Calibrachoa.

1. A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant named ‘Wescain’ as illustratedand described.